Click here to read the Old Paths Journal.
Your Price Tag of Love
Hosea 3:1
"Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine."
The Book of Hosea is a love story, but not the normal type of love story. This love story was filled with heartache, disappointment, and shame, and was about the undying love that Hosea had for his wife. Can you imagine how Hosea must have felt when his wife left him, not just for another man, but she left him to live a life of prostitution? If she left him for another man that would have been hard enough to carry, but to leave him to sell her body to lustful men was a blow that would be hard for anyone to take. Yet, though she left him, he still loved her to the end and proved it by buying her back to be his wife when she was being sold as a slave.
Love, is one of the most costly things for which you will pay for in life. Most people don't know that there is a price tag on love when they choose to love someone. Though the price tag of love is great, if you will pay the price, you will enjoy a great relationship in the end. Let me show you several things that are included in the price tag of love.
First, love hurts. When you choose to love someone, you need to expect that you will be hurt by them at sometime in your life. To expect that someone will never hurt you is unrealistic. Everybody is a sinner, and sinners will do things that hurt those who love them the most even though they may not purposely try to do this. When you choose to love someone, don't think that you will go unscathed, for there will be a time when you will be hurt by them.
Second, love is disappointing. There will be times when the one you love will disappoint you, but true love will continue to love that person. Just because they disappoint you should not stop your love for them for if it does then you never truly loved that person. Just think how often we have disappointed God, and yet He still loves us. When someone disappoints you, don't let that disappointment stop your love.
Third, love can be shameful. Imagine the shame that Hosea felt when he faced others who saw his wife on the street corner selling her body to lustful men. This was certainly a shameful feeling. However, his love for her did not waver even though he was shamed. True love is not dependent upon whether or not someone will shame or embarrass you. There will be times when you will have to carry the shame for the one that you love, but it is worth it when you can restore the fellowship in that love.
Fourth, love may be spurned. Hosea's wife actually left him, but though she left and probably told him that she didn't love him when she did, he still loved her. One of the things you must understand about love is that there is no off switch to love. Though someone may spurn you and be hateful towards you, true love continues to love that person.
Fifth, love has no degree at which it will stop to restore a loved one. The undying love of Hosea was seen when he made a bid for his wife to bring her back home. True love will continue to do everything it can to restore fellowship with the one it loves. Love will be willing to look over the wrong so that it can have the one back whom it loves.
Christian, the only way you will have this true love is to focus on the object of your love and not on the benefits or actions of the one you love. Every parent, spouse, child, friend and Christian needs to know that your love will go through these stages. My question for you is this, are you willing to pay the price tag of love? If you are, then you will have fulfilling relationships.